London Mums Magazine Activitieshttp://londonmumsmagazine.com
London Mums MagazineMon, 30 Mar 2015 10:10:20 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1Storytelling and music for 0-4s: explore and learn at the Royal Albert Hallhttp://londonmumsmagazine.com/2015/storytelling-music-0-4s-explore-learn-royal-albert-hall
http://londonmumsmagazine.com/2015/storytelling-music-0-4s-explore-learn-royal-albert-hall#commentsWed, 25 Mar 2015 19:30:30 +0000http://londonmumsmagazine.com/?p=39022Being a mum in London, I’ve found I’m on a constant search for events, and spoilt for choice most days, with activities happening in local libraries, churches and children’s centres. But as a new mum with a rapidly growing son, I find we’re both up for something a bit different, and I love finding those [...]

]]>Being a mum in London, I’ve found I’m on a constant search for events, and spoilt for choice most days, with activities happening in local libraries, churches and children’s centres. But as a new mum with a rapidly growing son, I find we’re both up for something a bit different, and I love finding those regular events that take something interactive and leave us both feeling we’ve achieved something before our day has even started! That’s why I’m delighted to be involved in the Royal Albert Hall’s new Storytelling and Music sessions for 0-4 year olds.

Working with the Archives team and our storytellers to devise these sessions has been so exciting and inspiring! I knew I wanted to keep the costs down (particularly as the rising price of quality events for children means it’s hard to do them every week), so it is just £4 per child, with accompanying adults going free, and subsidised tickets available. After all the planning, I could hardly wait for the first one. And not wanting to recommend something without trying it for myself, I thought I’d go along with Maxwell, and report back for London Mums.

When we arrived at Door 12, we had a few minutes to check around the café, now enhanced with kids’ menus and highchairs. We were met along with a few other parents and buggies, and guided to the Door 9 Porch, passing the toilets and baby changing facilities. There was a space for parking our buggies, and the stewards welcomed us and wrote out a name sticker, so Maxwell was already wowed! In the outer sun-trapped porch, with huge grand windows built into the beautiful masonry, we said hello to storyteller Olivia, who was incredibly warm and enthusiastic and got everyone settled in as we relaxed onto scattered cushions around the floor. Starting promptly but encouraging latecomers to join in, we got under way hearing stories, playing instruments and singing songs, meeting wonderful puppets like Prince Albert, a blackbird, a spider and a horse as we explored the Hall’s diverse history.

We learnt about the transportation of the roof from Manchester to London, as Olivia brilliantly engaged the parents and carers with their children, through lovely interaction. The sessions will vary each week, which is great as we’ll meet some fabulous characters and learn some fascinating musical stories. Many will be based around shows taking place at the Hall at the same time, including marching music (the Mountbatten Festival of Music), the history of the blues (Eric Clapton) and surf and summer music (The Beach Boys). Others will be devoted to space, jazz and poetry, taking in everything from weightless dancing to tongue-twisters.

Speaking to another mum afterwards in the café, she was happy and surprised that both her children, aged one-and-a-half and three, were focused on and interacted with throughout the session. Maxwell and I left still singing the songs, he even learnt about spotting and pointing at roofs (of everything!) and has tackled the master-finger-movement of Incy Wincy Spider, which I still can’t do. In this 35 minute session I was really impressed with just how well co-ordination, self-confidence and awareness was easily developed in all the children (and adults!) through a very clever mix of history, music and stories. And being in this iconic building just topped it off!

Every child requires a ticket and must be accompanied by a participating adult. Accompanying adults do not require a ticket. A limited number of subsidised £1 tickets are available (subject to availability) for hard to reach families including those eligible for free school meals, social housing, housing benefit, and looked-after children. These tickets can now be booked directly over the phone or in person to people who quote this offer.

]]>http://londonmumsmagazine.com/2015/storytelling-music-0-4s-explore-learn-royal-albert-hall/feed/0FREE Cinderella exhibition in Leicester Squarehttp://londonmumsmagazine.com/2015/free-cinderella-exhibition-in-leicester-square
http://londonmumsmagazine.com/2015/free-cinderella-exhibition-in-leicester-square#commentsSun, 22 Mar 2015 12:36:38 +0000http://londonmumsmagazine.com/?p=38948Cinderella and Disney fans cannot miss the FREE Cinderella exhibition in Leicester Square that is open to the public from 21 March to 10 April 2015 to coincide with the release of new live-action Disney’s Cinderella film in cinemas from 27 March 2015. The Cinderella Exhibition Presented By Swarovski is a very rare exposition of [...]

]]>Cinderella and Disney fans cannot miss the FREE Cinderella exhibition in Leicester Square that is open to the public from 21 March to 10 April 2015 to coincide with the release of new live-action Disney’s Cinderella film in cinemas from 27 March 2015. The Cinderella Exhibition Presented By Swarovski is a very rare exposition of Disney’s iconic princess’ memorabilia and costumes used in Kenneth Branagh’s latest adaptation to the big screen.

What to expect

The great thing about this free exhibition is that if you take the kids to see the film in Leicester Square you will be able to experience the costumes in person straight after the movie, including the famous slippers. This only requires a bit of planning: the tickets are free but they need to be booked in advance.

The interactive exhibition has been organised by Walt Disney and Swarovski, who provided Oscar-winning costume British designer Sandy Powell with 1.7 million crystals for the costumes in the movie to make them look really sparkly. They are breath-taking.

It takes you behind-the-scenes of filmmaking, production design and costume design of the new movie, as well as showcasing memorabilia from the original Disney Cinderella animation (documents, draft drawings, merchandising sold in the Sixties when the movie came out), which is celebrating its 65th anniversary this year.

You’ll find interactive devices to explore the design process behind the animation which is mesmorising especially for the new generation of children who are used to touch-screen technology.

The exhibition is divided into five multi-sensory areas including a Cinderella historical gallery, Cinderella’s house, Fairy Godmother’s scene (you can enter the giant Pumpkin first and then pose next to the stunning Golden Carriage, the Castle Ballroom and a Modern Day Princess Gallery with pictures of Lily James starring as Cinderella.

There are 30 costumes in the exhibition including the gorgeous Cinderella’s light blue ballroom gown.

One of the highlights of the show are obviously the Swarovski solid crystal slippers designed by Sandy Powell – only used for the shoe fitting scenes but never worn by Cinderella in the film. They are too delicate and precious for wearing and were replaced by plastic ones while filming. Special effects were used to make them look like crystals. The slippers are in fact quite heavy weighing 1 kilo each.

Some of the memorabilia have been borrowed by museums from around the world only under the condition that they would be kept at a specific temperature in glass cabinets. They are pieces of cinematic history and hence treated like real jewels.

The exhibition is right on Leicester Square Gardens, Leicester Square, London, WC2H 7LE

Why you will love it

If you are Cinderella fans, you will absolutely love the Swarovski crystals shoes and you’ll be able to even get a photo during a virtual shoe fitting like mine here.

The real costumes from the movie are superb particularly those worn by Cate Blanchett in her role as the cruel step-mother.

Going through the exhibition, you’ll get a sense for the magnificence of the new big budget movie.

If you aren’t a Cinderella fan yet, you’ll become one after seeing this exhibition. It is free and worth spending half hour to one hour (I could have spent even 2 hours there). Due to its huge popularity, you’ll still need to pre-book your free tickets though.

Cinderella magic fashion for kids

Girls can now recreate the Cinderella magic thanks to a high quality new fashion brand called Courage & Kind that incorporates the Disney magic into a Cinderella themed clothing range sold at Harrods and soon at Disney Stores.

Fashion designer Charlotte Rakowski and expert mum of two talked at a special launch of the brand at the Century Club in London about the values behind the new Cinderella line: environmentally friendly packaging and washing techniques, quality material, long-lasting garments suitable for parents of active girls who want to add sparkles in their day to day clothes. The little diamonds embedded in all clothes seemed robust enough to last at least a season or two.

Courage & Kind is a kids’ fashion brand only but said they would be opened to expand into adult fashion. Shame they haven’t got the sparkly dress for mums. I would have bought one on the spot!

]]>http://londonmumsmagazine.com/2015/free-cinderella-exhibition-in-leicester-square/feed/0Spandau Ballet rock Londonhttp://londonmumsmagazine.com/2015/spandau-ballet-rock-london
http://londonmumsmagazine.com/2015/spandau-ballet-rock-london#commentsWed, 18 Mar 2015 13:52:47 +0000http://londonmumsmagazine.com/?p=38841In their first concert at the O2 in London last night (after touring around the world for months), the Spandau Ballet showed what great musicians they still are and how strong their fan base still is. With a career spanning over 30 years their music seemed more current than ever and their performance more confident [...]

]]>In their first concert at the O2 in London last night (after touring around the world for months), the Spandau Ballet showed what great musicians they still are and how strong their fan base still is. With a career spanning over 30 years their music seemed more current than ever and their performance more confident and mature than in their early years. You could tell from their laughs and hugs with each other that they have more fun now than when they were younger. All axes are buried now and they are living the dream of being a top rock band once more.

Tony Hadley and Co. covered lots of songs from their latest album Once More which blended really well with their classic hits such as Gold, True, Through the barricades, Round and Round, Lifeline, I’ll fly for you and many more.

The stage was transformed in Blitz Club for a while during the gig and Spandau Ballet played their early electronic hits like Cut A Long Story Short using a vintage synth which brought back lots of retro sound memories.

The unplugged version of Gold created magical moments among the audience who was singing along ‘you’re indestructible’ while ladies tried to undress Tony like in the old days. Priceless!

My 8 year old son who is a young musician himself and a Spandau Ballet fan came along and rated this concert 11/10 showing his appreciation for good music, live performance and entertainment values. This goes to show what a huge audience Spandau Ballet has. Sitting next to us at the concert there was a group of ladies in their 70s who had a smashing time.

The audience was predominantly and unsurprisingly mature (40+) – people like me who were teenagers in the Eighties – but young musicians such as Sophie Ellis Bextor attended the concert and seemed to enjoy it.

The new generation of musicians has lots to learn from ‘oldies’ such as Spandau Ballet. From my personal experience going to concerts from ‘oldies’ to ‘newbies’, I would say that new musicians (with some great exceptions) often fail to be complete in their music preparation – they are either singers or specialised in a specific instrument, while bands from the Eighties are professional musicians who can be good in many roles within the group.

It would be very hard and unfair to choose a favourite Spandau as they are all fantastic. Having said that, Steve Norman’s versatility was impressive and quite rightly Tony Hadley described his role within the band as the sweet shop for any young musicians. Throughout the gig Steve played at least 7 instruments including saxophone, bongos, some drums, guitar, while he sang the choruses.

]]>http://londonmumsmagazine.com/2015/spandau-ballet-rock-london/feed/0Go on, be ExpeRimental and get stuck into science!http://londonmumsmagazine.com/2015/be-experimental-and-get-stuck-science
http://londonmumsmagazine.com/2015/be-experimental-and-get-stuck-science#commentsTue, 03 Mar 2015 11:30:53 +0000http://londonmumsmagazine.com/?p=38360I have what I believe is the best job in the world, I spend my days as the Science Learning Manager at the Royal Institution (home of the famous CHRISTMAS LECTURES) coming up with ideas about how to get people excited about science. My goal is to make science accessible, enjoyable and meaningful for everyone, [...]

]]>I have what I believe is the best job in the world, I spend my days as the Science Learning Manager at the Royal Institution (home of the famous CHRISTMAS LECTURES) coming up with ideas about how to get people excited about science. My goal is to make science accessible, enjoyable and meaningful for everyone, regardless of their background, location or previous experience with the subject.

I’m also a London mum of two girls, Viola aged 6 and Elodie aged 3, and I find it incredibly satisfying to help them explore their natural curiosity about the world around them and how it works. This makes me especially passionate about supporting parents to get stuck into science at home so that they too can enjoy the same experiences.

ExpeRimental is a series of free on-line videos presented by real families, mine included, that provide parents of children aged 4-9 with a huge range of simple, fun and cheap science activities to do with their children in the kitchen, the bathroom, the garden or the park down the road.

The films and accompanying resources explain key scientific concepts in everyday language and show you how to investigate and test these concepts with your children in a very hands-on (and sometimes messy!) way. What makes Experimental films stand out from other ‘how to’ resources is that they encourage and support you to go a few steps further than just the activity by asking your child a series of questions. We want parents to have the confidence to prompt their children to approach a problem or phenomena in the way a real scientist would – to look more closely at the activity, to make predictions, and to think more deeply about the scientific concept the activity investigates and how it applies to the world around them. And this can be easily achieved regardless of how much or how little science you’ve done before.

I wanted to start ExpeRimental because I believe that science is an integral part of our cultural and social make up, and that it should be introduced to children from a young age by parents or grandparents in the same way that art, crafts, drama or cooking are. Science isn’t a subject that can only be tackled by teachers in a school environment, it doesn’t need to be put off until the children are ‘old enough’, and a reliable science experiment certainly doesn’t always need expensive or complicated bits of kit.

I’d love to see more adults take ownership of science and feel in control of the subject, rather than shy away from it as something that is scary, alien, difficult or simply boring. I hope ExpeRimental reassures parents that it’s okay not to know the answer to every question, and that all parents get tripped up or surprised by what their children say. I had my own experience of this with Viola in the Home-made lava lamps film we made together with her unexpected response to my question at 4:48. Even professional scientists get stumped and it’s the ‘not knowing’ that drives them on!

There is a wealth of evidence that shows that the attitude shown towards science at home is a major factor on children’s likelihood of wanting to study science related subjects in the future. According to the 2014 IPSOS Mori report ’Public attitudes to science’, 84% of the UK public agree that science is such a big part of our lives that we should all take an interest, but only 41% of adults and 51% of 16-24 year olds feel informed about science.

An independent report by authors Goodhall and Vorhaus for the Department of Education in 2011 found that parental engagement has a large and positive impact on children’s learning, but only a third of parents feel confident in helping with their children’s homework. Worryingly, according to research by the Wellcome Trust, science is now mostly taught by non-specialists in primary schools and nurseries and the amount of time devoted to science in the primary phase has declined in recent years. So choosing to ‘save science for school’ may not be the most risk-free approach for parents to take.

If children are put off studying science and mathematics then they risk missing out on a phenomenal range of rewarding, exciting and challenging adventures in their future career. But even for children who choose not to go into a science-related career, if everyone had a better understanding of some basic scientific principles, it would navigating modern life easier. Everything from understanding technological and medical advances, reading stories in the newspaper, to choosing who to vote for can be helped by understanding and appreciating a bit more science.

I really hope other mums reading this blog are inspired to have a go at an ExpeRimental activity and enjoy the same sort of quality moments I have had with my girls, like when Viola dropped an egg on herself and we couldn’t stop laughing or seeing the astonished expressions on their faces when they discovered the egg had turned soft when we made the film Eggsperiments. It’s incredibly satisfying finding out how much of what we’ve done together has ‘stuck’ with them too, they often ask me if we can do the activities again and during a recent family fish and chips night they remembered that it was vinegar that made the bicarbonate of soda fizz. That activity is in our film ‘Fizzy cubes’ which will be out soon.

Hopefully ExpeRimental will be the start of whole new revolution of parents doing science at home, I do hope you join us!

]]>http://londonmumsmagazine.com/2015/be-experimental-and-get-stuck-science/feed/0Mackintosh architecture FREE exhibition inspire kids’ own Lego bricks houseshttp://londonmumsmagazine.com/2015/mackintosh-architecture-free-exhibition-inspire-kids-lego-bricks-houses
http://londonmumsmagazine.com/2015/mackintosh-architecture-free-exhibition-inspire-kids-lego-bricks-houses#commentsTue, 24 Feb 2015 11:44:32 +0000http://londonmumsmagazine.com/?p=38276During a Lego event held at the British Institute of British Architects (RIBA) over half term, while my son and other children from the London Mums’ Kids Club were busy creating Lego Friends inspired houses, I visited the FREE Mackintosh exhibition.
Scottish architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868-1928) is famous for being a modernist, symbolist [...]

]]>During a Lego event held at the British Institute of British Architects (RIBA) over half term, while my son and other children from the London Mums’ Kids Club were busy creating Lego Friends inspired houses, I visited the FREE Mackintosh exhibition.

Scottish architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868-1928) is famous for being a modernist, symbolist and an exponent of Art Nouveau.

This exhibition brings together drawings and objects to showcase his work in his search for a new architectural language. Particular emphasis is placed on Mackintosh’s domestic designs, which comprise some of his most significant achievements.

Inspired by the great RIBA building and the Mackintosh exhibition the children built eco-friendly and modern design houses using Lego Friends bricks from the latest models.

While at RIBA we even met the UK’s only LEGO Certified Professional,Duncan Titmarsh.

I am sure you have all seen the Lego installations at Covent Garden over the past few years: we have seen a 30m LEGO Christmas Tree, Giant Advent Calendar and a walk-through Snow Globe. Well, Duncan is responsible for these amazing creations. On top of that, Christmas 2014 saw Santa on his sleigh pulled along by 9 reindeer, with Rudolph leading the charge. There was an empty seat next to Santa on the sleigh, so kids could climb aboard and take a ‘sleigh selfie’. Once again, this impressive installation was designed and built by Duncan, who undoubtedly has the best job in town, building with LEGO all day for a living!

To refresh your memory, check out the images we posted on these pieces:

]]>http://londonmumsmagazine.com/2015/mackintosh-architecture-free-exhibition-inspire-kids-lego-bricks-houses/feed/0Decadent Dining in London – The Places You’ve Probably Never Heard Of!http://londonmumsmagazine.com/2014/decadent-dining-london-places-youve-probably-never-heard
http://londonmumsmagazine.com/2014/decadent-dining-london-places-youve-probably-never-heard#commentsSun, 21 Dec 2014 11:24:30 +0000http://londonmumsmagazine.com/?p=37016If dining out is one of your favourite pastimes, London is the place to be. The different styles of cuisine, some of the world’s most inventive and creative chefs, and the stunning range of venues all combine to offer eating experiences to rival those found anywhere around the globe. Have you ever thought of decadent [...]

]]>If dining out is one of your favourite pastimes, London is the place to be. The different styles of cuisine, some of the world’s most inventive and creative chefs, and the stunning range of venues all combine to offer eating experiences to rival those found anywhere around the globe. Have you ever thought of decadent dining?

Best kept secret dining out venues

The great thing about London is its abundance of great new dining out experiences on offer. If you tire of decadent dining at 5 star London hotels, why not try something a little different? Great food, good ambiance, and sharp service, but with little twist!

Baltic

Tucked away in Blackfriars road, this little gem is 5 minutes’ walk from Waterloo station, and 1 minutes’ walk from Southwark station on the Jubilee. Baltic offers some great East European cuisine featuring some stunning dishes from Poland, Russia, Ukraine and Bulgaria to mention just a few. You can dine in the Amber Room, which offers a semi-private atmosphere, which is ideal for those who want a little more privacy but who don’t want to be divorced from the great atmosphere.

They have a wonderful range of vodkas, (try the vodka with horseradish – exquisite!), and a superb array of food. Treat yourself to some of their gorgeous starters and sides such as stuffed dumplings (Pierogi), and Blinis served with smoked salmon or wild mushroom caviar. Roast pork shank with braised sauerkraut, seared calves liver with apple mash, and roast goose leg with braised red cabbage, figs, and apple are just some of the wonderful taste experiences on offer.

Dans Le Noir

Dans Le Noir offers a totally new dining experience – dining in the dark. They bill it as being a truly human and sensory culinary experience; all in total, pitch darkness. You literally won’t see your hand in front of your face. But for those real true food connoisseurs it takes away the distraction that seeing can present, and instead allows your senses of taste, smell, and sensation to govern.

You can begin your new gastro experience by sampling some great cocktails in their dimly lit cocktail bar before being led to your table in the dark by a blind waiter. All the dishes are made from the finest quality ingredients, and they have an excellent wine cellar too. It really is dining out with a difference and something that everyone should try at least once in their lifetime.

Seven Park Place by William Drabble

Seven Park Place by William Drabble has only been open for 5 years, but has already claimed its first well deserved Michelin Star, plus four rosettes. Situated in a quiet cul-de-sac in St James, London, 7PP is still relatively unknown by London’s dining out elite, meaning it’s still possible to book a table at short notice. That will probably not be the case for much longer. With an a la carte menu brimming full with new ideas, and some wonderful signature British lobster dishes, 7PP is a real hidden gem. They have a fine wine cellar and a friendly, knowledgeable sommelier to talk you through their selection and help you find the perfect accompaniment for your meal.

Where will you eat tonight?

Whether it’s eating in the dark or uncovering one of London’s lesser known fine dining establishments, one thing is for sure: London is the gastronomic capital; a foodie’s delight waiting to host your next culinary expedition in search of a great fine dining.

]]>http://londonmumsmagazine.com/2014/decadent-dining-london-places-youve-probably-never-heard/feed/0London in the movies in 2014http://londonmumsmagazine.com/2014/london-in-the-movies-2014
http://londonmumsmagazine.com/2014/london-in-the-movies-2014#commentsSat, 20 Dec 2014 11:30:34 +0000http://londonmumsmagazine.com/?p=371862014 has been a big year for London in terms of its representation both in British and international films.
I recently spent a few days in New York City at the global premiere of Netflix original series March Polo and had tremendous fun spotting all locations of big movies such as Spider-Man and many others.
But my [...]

]]>http://londonmumsmagazine.com/2014/london-in-the-movies-2014/feed/0Christmas in London 2014 – Things to do with kidshttp://londonmumsmagazine.com/2014/christmas-in-london-2014
http://londonmumsmagazine.com/2014/christmas-in-london-2014#commentsFri, 19 Dec 2014 13:53:50 +0000http://londonmumsmagazine.com/?p=37263There are such high expectations for Christmas in London but once again my family and I are never disappointed year on year. This is the festive season families wait for all year. If you are spending the festivities in the Capital, Christmas in London 2014 is filled with things to do with kids including skating [...]

]]>There are such high expectations for Christmas in London but once again my family and I are never disappointed year on year. This is the festive season families wait for all year. If you are spending the festivities in the Capital, Christmas in London 2014 is filled with things to do with kids including skating at local ice rinks across the city, Santa’s Grottos everywhere, fantastic theatre shows that everyone in the world envy us and impressive Christmas lights.

Covent Garden

As every year, Covent Garden is one of the best places to hang out. This year Lego has built a huge sleigh with Santa and Reindeers. Kids can take their photos sitting next to Santa. It’s FREE too! Every Saturday afternoon from noon until 4pm there are live reindeers which kids can feed and take pictures with.

Southbank

Lots of free stuff to do browsing in my favourite part of London, Southbank!

Impressive Christmas Tree in front of the Royal Festival Hall

Christmas Market at Southbank with a fun train ride for kids

West End Shows for everyone

Christmas lights in London

Just browse around Central London and get lost among the rivers of Christmas lights that are currently inundating the Capital. Magnificent but chic. The theme of Regents’ Street this year is the new movie A Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb. Check out London Mums’ reviews, competition and activities related to this film.

Burlington Arcade – did you know that it is forbidden to whistle under the arcade?

Chocolate Big Ben! Just what we need to keep warm. You can find it at a stand in Leicester Square

Christmas fun in Carnaby Street

Ice Rinks

Our favourite ice rink this year is at Broadgate (next door to Liverpool Street). There are so many famous ones across London (Natural History Museum, Somerset House, etc) though but we loved this one in particular as it has a fab restaurant called The Tasting Room, a brand new luxury pop-up bar and smokehouse, which we absolutely loved. It’s worth paying a visit!

]]>http://londonmumsmagazine.com/2014/christmas-in-london-2014/feed/0Tinkering for the 21st century, join the revolution!http://londonmumsmagazine.com/2014/tinkering-21st-century-join-revolution
http://londonmumsmagazine.com/2014/tinkering-21st-century-join-revolution#commentsMon, 15 Dec 2014 10:45:40 +0000http://londonmumsmagazine.com/?p=37050Our children are the black box generation. With just a swipe of a finger or a click of a button they can make miraculous things happen in an instant – cartoons will start, music will play, games will appear or a grandparent’s voice will say hello. The actions are so simple, and the results so [...]

]]>Our children are the black box generation. With just a swipe of a finger or a click of a button they can make miraculous things happen in an instant – cartoons will start, music will play, games will appear or a grandparent’s voice will say hello. The actions are so simple, and the results so quick and gratifying, that there is no time or incentive to question how and why their action caused the result. They experience no sense of achievement from playing a role in these phenomenal technological processes. We have lost the art of tinkering.

In this year’s CHRISTMAS LECTURES ‘Sparks will fly: How to hack your home’ I want to share the sense of wonder and insatiable curiosity I had when I was a child playing with my telescope in my bedroom and still have now as an electrical engineer – a role which requires me to be a professional inventor. I want the young viewers and their parents to develop the confidence to take back control of the devices that surround them every day and to join me in helping to push our technology ever forward.
The wonderful thing about technology is that no matter how advanced or self-contained it becomes, some things will never change. Energy has to be made and transferred for an action to take place. Information has to be sent from one place and understood by another. The inner workings of even the most complex of computers today can be broken down into a series of steps and simple instructions.

How can we encourage our children to set aside the instant gratification of a black box and encourage them to take the slower and more challenging path of controlling every step in the process? We can turn it into play.

In a wonderful technological evolution away from the black box, developers have created affordable mini-controllers which have the potential to serve the same functions as a traditional PC computer but are small enough to sit in the palm of your hand, such as the Raspberry Pi and Arduino. But the crucial difference is that to achieve the same result as typing into a computer or swiping a screen, you have to design, build and control the step by step process yourself. You have to tell this mini-controller what to do at each step, when to do it, and give it any extra tools it needs to achieve your desired result. You and your child will need to experiment with the instructions you give and use your imagination to create connections between the controller and other devices and everyday objects around you.

Some great home-hacking projects don’t even need a ready made mini-controller, you can adapt and hack things you already have around you such as smartphones, battery-operated toys, remote controls, clocks and LEDS to do fun and unexpected things.Your efforts and patience will be rewarded because the results can be magical. Programme your fairy lights to twinkle in time to your child’s favourite song, build a remote control robot or confuse an unsuspecting sibling by turning lights on and off from outside the room.

Why is it so important to capture and direct a child’s curiosity in this way? I wouldn’t change what I do as a career for anything in the world. Every day I play, create and problem-solve with the aim of achieving life-changing results. I help ESA and NASA physicists listen to sounds coming from the far reaches of the universe, I help farmers conserve the most precious of natural resources, water, I help reduce the environmental impact of air travel and much more.

Tinkering is just engineering on a smaller scale. I want children to realise that if they take control of the devices and technology around them and use their imagination there’s nothing to stop them discovering the solutions to the world’s greatest challenges from their kitchen table, bedroom or garden shed. I want them to be inspired and motivated to think about the world around them and understand the role they can play in making it work better.

If you need some help to get started with tinkering you won’t need to look far. Hackspaces, maker faires, coder dojos and more have sprung up in community spaces, science centres and universities across the capital and the internet is packed full of opensource ideas and forums. So get stuck in and join the tinkering revolution!

Tips on how to get started with tinkering

The Royal Institution (Ri) in Mayfair will transform its beautiful Georgian building into a giant hackspace aimed at 6-12 year olds for its Sparks will fly Family Fun Day on 21 February 2014. The Ri’s L’Oreal Young Scientist Centre is running a how to hack your own games console workshop for 11-18 year olds on Saturday 13 December.

Led by former Christmas Lecturer and materials scientist Mark Miodownik, the Institute of Making in Camden, part of University College London, runs a public programme full of masterclasses, workshops with guest experts, maker residencies and curated opportunities to make, break and repair everything from jewellery to robots.

London Hackspace is a non-profit community-run workshop in Hackney where people come to share tools and knowledge. They run a wide range of evening and weekend workshops for adults and families covering everything from 3D printing to coding, to Arduinos for beginners.

Technology will save us offers a huge range of DIY kits including step by step guides for a range of programming, design, electronics and soldering projects for all ages and all abilities to encourage people to learn how to hack at home.

Students from Imperial College London in South Kensington run FREE monthly coder dojos for children aged 8-12 on Saturday afternoons covering the very basics of programming and gaming to the more advanced.

The Blackhorse Workshop in Blackhorse Road, Waltham Forest, is a public space dedicated to making and mending and it also runs a monthly Saturday street food and makers market.

]]>http://londonmumsmagazine.com/2014/tinkering-21st-century-join-revolution/feed/0A delicious Italian Christmas Menu in Londonhttp://londonmumsmagazine.com/2014/christmas-menu-delicious-italian-christmas-menu-london
http://londonmumsmagazine.com/2014/christmas-menu-delicious-italian-christmas-menu-london#commentsSat, 13 Dec 2014 11:30:13 +0000http://londonmumsmagazine.com/?p=37092When in Britain you talk about Christmas Menu, turkey and Brussels sprouts spring to mind immediately. But in Italy the typical Christmas Menu does not exist as such because every region and even every city has its very own Christmas recipes.
Italian cuisine is so incredibly varied that it would be difficult to compile a comprehensive [...]

]]>When in Britain you talk about Christmas Menu, turkey and Brussels sprouts spring to mind immediately. But in Italy the typical Christmas Menu does not exist as such because every region and even every city has its very own Christmas recipes.

Italian cuisine is so incredibly varied that it would be difficult to compile a comprehensive list of Christmas menus without leaving some out. But in London it is easier to find a contemporary Italian menu that is suitable for the Winter festive meals.

MOZZARELLA IN CARROZZA (starter)

A glass of Prosecco is included in the 3 course Premium Christmas Menu worth £24.95

My mother used to make this at least once a week. Mozzarella in Carrozza literally means mozzarella cheese in the carriage. The crispy coat to the cheese represents the carriage. It’s made of Mozzarella in breadcrumbs, lightly fried and served with pomodoro sauce. Kids would love this as it is crispy and mouth watering even for a child’s taste (and mine too).

KING PRAWN RISOTTO (main)

I love any risotto but this one is very Christmassy as it has fish in it. The twist in the Prezzo King Prawn Risotto is that it does not only include king prawns but also oak-roasted salmon fillet and leeks in a creamy saffron sauce. Saffron makes the risotto colourful but also very tasty and sophisticated but kids also love it. My 8 years old son considers a saffron risotto a real treat!

AMARETTO BRIOCHE BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING (dessert)

I am not big in desserts and puddings but the Amaretto Brioche bread and butter pudding served with vanilla ice cream is not too sweet despite having raisins and almonds. The vanilla ice cream actually enhances the amaretto taste.